Method of handling and processing open width fabric

ABSTRACT

The application is directed principally to a method of processing open width fabrics, particularly distortable fabrics such as those of knitted construction, in a rotary-type of tenter processor in which the fabric is acted upon by high velocity air streams. The fabric is first engaged by its opposed edge extremities and distended to a predetermined width; it remains so engaged throughout the processing operation. The thus engaged fabric is supplied to and mechanically supported by a synchronously rotating processing drum. Of significance, the fabric, regardless of its width, is applied symmetrically to the center area of the drum and held by its edges at a uniform width regardless of the overall axial length of the drum, which may be considerably greater than the width of a given fabric web. While the fabric is supported on the drum, high velocity streams, extending over the full axial length of the drum and independent of the width of the fabric, are directed radially through the fabric and drum to effect the desired processing. Exceptional uniformity of processing results is thus achieved.

ite tates Patent Cohn et a1. Sept. 5, 1972 [54] METHOD OF HANDLING AND 7,500 1837 Great Britain ..26/59 PROCESSING OPEN WIDTH FABRIC 14,097 1852 Great Britain ..26/59 him- [72] Inventors: Eugene Cohn, Great Neck; Andrew P. Cecere, Valley Stream; Robert Frezza, Carle Place, all of NY.

[73] Assignee: Samcoe Holding Corporation,

Woodside, NY,

[22] Filed: July 28, 1970 [21] Appl. No.1 58,855

Related US. Application Data [62] Division of Ser. No. 698,899, Jan. 18, 1968,

Pat. No. 3,551,970.

[52] US. Cl. ..26/59, 26/55 WC, 34/23 [51] Int. Cl ..D06c 3/02 [58] Field of Search ..26/57, 57 A, 59,57 E, 60, 26/61 A, 55 WC; 34/23, 112, 122, 158

[56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 3,065,551 11/1962 Cohn et al. ..34/62 3,102,006 8/ 1963 Cohn et a1. ..34/23 3,150,432 9/1964 McCreary ..26/57 E 1,963,672 6/1934 Parkes ..26/59 2,252,181 8/1941 Hunter et a1 ..26/59 X FOREIGN PATENTS OR APPLICATIONS 1,567 1899 Great Britain ..26/59 -224 38 42 ?Tll 3!, 1 69 i5 I, i 1

Primary ExaminerRobert R. Mackey Attorney-Mandeville and Schweitzer 5 7 ABSTRACT The application is directed principally to a method of processing open width fabrics, particularly distortable fabrics such as those of knitted construction, in a rotary-type of tenter processor in which the fabric is acted upon by high velocity air streams. The fabric is first engaged by its opposed edge extremities and distended to a predetermined width; it remains so engaged throughout the processing operation. The thus engaged fabric is supplied to and mechanically supported by a synchronously rotating processing drum. Of significance, the fabric, regardless of its width, is applied symmetrically to the center area of the drum and held by its edges at a uniform width regardless of the overall axial length of the drum, which may be considerably greater than the width of a given fabric web. While the fabric is supported on the drum, high velocity streams, extending over the full axial length of the drum and independent of the width of the fabric, are directed radially through the fabric and drum to effect the desired processing. Exceptional uniformity of processing results is thus achieved.

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SHEET 110F 11 INVENTORS EUGENE COHN ANDREW P. CECERE Q 1 BY ROBE T F 22A LL I ATTORNEYS METHOD OF HANDLING AND PROCESSING OPEN WIDTH FABRIC RELATED APPLICATIONS The present application is a division of our copending application Ser. No. 698,899, filed Jan. 18, 1968, now U.S. Pat. No. 3,551,970 granted Jan. 5, 1971. The subject matter of the application is also broadly related to the subject matter of the prior U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,065,551 and 3,102,006, issued to Samuel Cohn et al., and is usefully employed in conjunction with the subject matter of the Sidney L. Carter et al., U.S. Pat. No. 3,289,510.

BACKGROUND AND PRIOR ART In the commercial manufacture and processing of knitted fabrics, large quantities of such fabrics are manufactured on circular knitting machines, which initially construct the fabric in tubular form. To a large extent, such circular or tubular knitted fabrics have been handled substantially throughout the entire processing sequence in tubular form, and a variety of processing and handling equipment is available, which accommodates the knitted fabric in its tubular form. To an increasing extent, however, newer types and styles of tubular knitted fabrics, and more demanding end use specifications for such fabrics, are compelling the fabric processor to process knitted fabric in open width form, even though the fabric may have been initially constructed in tubular form. For example, many modern fabrics, when passed through a processing nip or otherwise subjected to pressure while in tubular form, will form an edge crease, particularly when the fabric is in a wet condition. With some fabrics, this creasing is an irreversible process in that the crease mark cannot subsequently be completely removed. Accordingly, it is becoming desirable to an increasing extent to process many knitted fabrics by first slitting and opening the fabric, before it is subjected to any processing steps involving the application of pressure. Thereafter, the fabric is handled and processed in flat, open width form, so that there is no occasion for edge creases to be imparted to the fabric.

In the processing of woven goods, which typically are initially constructed in flat form, it has long been the practice to handle and process such fabrics in open width form. This being the case, there are certain similarities between the open width processing of knitted fabrics and woven fabrics. However, by reason of the unique construction of the knitted fabric by interlocking loops, rather than by interwoven warp yarns extending length wise and woof yarns extending widthwise, the knitted fabric has an inherent interdependence of length and width dimensions and an inherent geometric instability. These characteristics of the knitted fabric differ not only in degree but also in kind from the characteristics of woven fabric, such that the equipment and technology long available to the woven goods industry is not easily translatable to the knit goods processing industry, accounting for the fact that open width processing of knitted fabric now is practiced only in limited volume relative to the processing of fabric in tubular form.

The present invention concerns itself most significantly with the processing, as by drying, heat setting, or curing of an open width knitted fabric, and the handling of the fabric immediately prior to and following such processing. However, many principles of the invention are applicable to advantage in the processing of woven fabrics and other web materials and the invention is not necessarily limited to the processing of knitted fabrics. In the new system, a unique rotary drum processor arrangement is provided, which is capable of handling and processing open width knitted fabric and other fabric webs with high efficiency and uniformity. To this end, the processing unit incorporates a number of features of significant novelty which render the apparatus commercially useful and desirable for the specific application of drying, heat setting or otherwise processing open width knitted fabric and other porous web materials and distinguish it significantly from prior art proposals for rotary tentertype dryers, such as is reflected by the previously issued Parkes U.S. Pat. No. 1,963,672, and the Hunter et al., U.S. Pat. No. 2,252,181, for example.

SUMMARY OF INVENTION In accordance with one aspect of the invention, a novel and improved rotary drum tenter processor is provided, which is specifically suitable for the drying or other processing of open widthfabric webs. The dryer of the invention incorporates a large diameter processing drum, of open mesh construction, which is surrounded very closely over much of its circumference by air nozzles arranged to direct closely spaced, discrete streams of air at high velocity radially into the drum and through the fabric supported thereon. The drum has a fixed width, related to the maximum width capacity of the processing line, and has associated therewith a novel and particularly advantageous tenter guide arrangement of adjustable width. The tenter guide includes adjustable tenter chain guides which closely surround the drum while being supported internally of the drum. The guides are engaged at one or more points radially externally of the drum for axial adjusting movement for regulating the width separation of the tenter chains. The arrangement is a simple, reliable, and wholly effective structure for accomplishing'width control adjustments without interfering with the critical uniformity of air flow through the fabric. In addition, the tenter width adjustment according to the invention accommodates a rugged construction which can tolerate the severe operating conditions encountered, which typically include being splattered and coated with excess heat-curable resins, for example.

The invention is additionally directed to improved tenter arrangements for engaging the fabric in advance of the processor and directing the fabric edges to set the fabric at a predetermined width and conveying the fabric continuously and uninterruptedly into the processor, around the circumference of the drum and out of the processor stage, all under conditions which maintain the geometric uniformity of the fabric, including cross line straightness. In accordance with one specific aspect of the invention, for example, a pair of spaced tenter chains is driven by imparting driving power to one chain only through a suitable sprocket means. The driven chain serves to drive the rotatable processing drum through the friction of the extended contact as the chain passes around the circumference of the drum. The second tenter chain is driven by its frictional contact with the drum. In this manner, the greatest uniformity of edge advancement of the fabric along opposite sides is assured during the period when the fabric is travelling over the drum. Where appropriate, the drum may be driven directly from the motive source, with both chains being driven synchronously by the drum.

Another specific inventive feature of the tenter chain arrangement resides in the provision of a specifically novel edge-seeking arrangement for the input end of the tenter. Thus, the tenter chain may be adjusted principally for a predetermined width and alignment but the fabric being supplied to the input end of the tenter, particularly with knitted fabrics because of its geometric instability, may not have its edges properly aligned with the principal portions of the tenter. Through suitable controls, which may in themselves be somewhat conventional, the input end extremities of the tenter chains may be manipulated to seek and follow the actual edges of the incoming fabric, so that the fabric edges are properly impaled upon the tenter pins. Of specific inventive significance, the tenter chain itself and the guide channel arrangement therefor is espe cially constructed to accommodate the lateral flexing necessary for edge-seeking, without unduly stressing the chains and without undesirably affecting the linear relationships between the advancing chain and the advancing fabric.

In the tenter-conveying of a wet knitted fabric, for example, severe distortions of the fabric can result if the fabric is not adequately supported while it remains in a wet condition. To this end, the apparatus of the invention includes an intake tenter section which includes means such as conveyor belts to support fabric as it advances to the dryer housing. Within the housing, the fabric is supported on a cushion" of low velocity air, as it advances through a preheating zone, toward the main drum. Once on the drum, of course, the fabric is mechanically supported across its full width on one surface, and thus may be acted upon by high velocity airjets for highly efficient drying or processing action.

The invention also includes novel and improved adjustable tach-follower controls for controlled overfeeding of the fabric onto the tenter chains, and controlled removal of the processed fabric. At the entry end, there are provided separately adjustable tach-follower controls for feeding the opposite edges of the fabric onto the tenters, for controlled overfeeding and cross line adjustment. At the discharge end, an adjustable tachfollower control is provided for removal of the fabric from the tenter pins. This enables the fabric speed to be properly readjusted to accommodate geometrical changes in the fabric (typically, slight narrowing and corresponding lengthening of the laterally distended fabric) as it is released by the pins.

The invention is applicable to the processing of fabric in either its wet or dry condition and is particularly useful for drying and/or curing of wet processed, impregnated various knitted fabrics, for example, the heat setting of polyester or nylon fabrics, or other fabric processing operations involving the maintenance of precise geometric stability during processing. In addition, the system of the invention accommodates high speed, efficient commercial-scale operations with a variety of fabrics and processing techniques. The starting material may be in tubular form or not and may or may not be subjected to an in-line preparatory treatment, such as wet-out or chemical impregnation.

For a better understanding of the above and other advantageous features of the invention, reference should be made to the following detailed descriptions and to the accompanying drawing.

DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING FIG. 1 is a simplified top plan view of a processing system, incorporating the invention, for the handling and processing of knitted or other fabric web in open width form.

FIG. 2 is a simplified elevational view of the system of FIG. 1.

FIG. 3 is anenlarged elevational view, with parts broken away, illustrating details of the construction of the rotary drum tenter dryer apparatus of the inventlon.

FIG. 4 is an elevational view of the apparatus of the invention, illustrating details of the arrangements for the heating and flow of drying air.

FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view taken generally along line 5-5 ofFIG. 4.

FIG. 6 is an enlarged fragmentary plan view showing the edge-seeking input end section of the tenter frame utilized in the system of FIG. 1.

FIG. 7 is an enlarged fragmentary cross-sectional view taken generally along line 7-7 of FIG. 6.

FIG. 8 is an enlarged fragmentary cross-sectional view taken generally along line 8-8 of FIG. 7.

FIG. 9 is an enlarged fragmentary cross-sectional view taken generally along line 9-9 of FIG. 8.

FIG. 10 is an enlarged fragmentary cross-sectional view taken generally along line 10-10 of FIG. 6.

FIGS. 11 and 12 are enlarged fragmentary cross-sectional views taken generally along lines 11-11 and 12-12, respectively, of FIG. 10.

FIGS. 13 and 14 are enlarged fragmentary cross-sectional views taken generally along lines 13-13 and 14-14, respectively, of FIG. 3.

FIG. 15 is an enlarged fragmentary cross-sectional view taken generally along line 15-15 of FIG. 1.

FIG. 16 is an enlarged fragmentary cross-sectional view taken generally along line 16-16 of FIG. 15.

FIG. 17 is an enlarged fragmentary plan view, partly broken away, illustrating construction details of an advantageous form of tenter chain incorporated in the system of FIG. 1.

FIG. 18 is an enlarged fragmentary cross-sectional view taken generally along line 18-18 of FIG. 17.

Referring now to the drawing, and initially to FIGS. 1 and 2 thereof, there is illustrated a typical processing line incorporating the features of the invention. At the upstream end of the processing line there is shown a supply container 20 holding a supply of, in the illustrated instance, tubular knitted fabric 21, typically in a wet condition. The fabric 21, in rope form, is drawn out of the supply container, over a roller 22, being detwisted as necessary by an attendant operator. The fabric 21 then advances into the input of a slitting and opening stage generally designated by the numeral 23.

Most advantageously, the slitting and opening stage 23 is constructed in accordance with the teachings of the Sidney L. Carter et al., U.S. Pat. No. 3,289,510, to which reference should be made for further details. In addition, the slitting and opening stage may incorporate improvements described and claimed in the Eugene Cohn et al., United States application Ser. No. 629,326 now US. Pat. No. 3,551,939, granted Jan. 5, 1971.

In general, the slitting and opening stage includes a slitting knife 24, which cuts the advancing tube of knitted fabric, and incorporates a pair of divergently related tenter chains 25, 26, which engage the newly formed edges of the fabric immediately adjacent the slitting knife. The arrangement is such that the edges of the slit fabric are simultaneously advanced and separated, until the fabric is converted from a slit, but otherwise tubular form, to a flat, open width form, substantially as indicated at 27 in FIG. 1. As explained in more detail in the before-mentioned Carter et al., patent and in the Eugene Cohn et al., application Ser. No. 629, 326, the described slitting and opening device is particularly advantageous for (although not necessarily limited to) the slitting and opening of tubular knitted 'fabric in a wet condition. This is-desirable because, in a typical situation, the knitted fabric 21, as received from the supply container will be in a stillwet condition from a previous wet-processing operation, such as dyeing, bleaching, etc.

At the discharge end of the slitting and opening stage 23, the now open-width fabric 27 passes over a guide roller 28, under a floating control roller 29 and over a second guide roller 30, and thence proceeds onto a padding stage, generally designated by the numeral 31. The floating roller 29 serves an advantageous control function by sensing out-of-phase speed relationships between the slitting and opening stage and the subsequent stages. Through appropriate control circuitry not specifically illustrated herein, corrective speed changes are made automatically.

Where desirable or expedient, means such as an air guide arrangement may be provided, directly in advance of the padding stage, for accurately centering the fabric. Edge decurlers may also be provided for laying the fabric edges flat and preventing fold-over of the edges as the fabric enters the pad. Especially advantageous forms of air guiding and de-curling arrangements are shown in the co-pending application of Eugene Cohn et al., Ser. No. 611,609, filed Jan. 25, 1967 and now US. Pat. No. 3,494,011, granted Feb. 10, 1970.

The fabric 27 entering the padding stage 31 is directed through a series of pressure-contacting nip rollers 32, which are advantageously submerged in a bath of treating liquid maintained in a suitable retaining tank. The fabric thus is directed through a plurality of submerged pressure nips, which successively squeeze and release the submerged fabric, after which the fabric passes through a pair of extracting rollers 33.

The padding stage advantageously is located directly in advance of the drying stage, designated by the reference numeral 34, and serves to impart to the fabric, in advance of drying, a uniform liquid content, not only edge to edge but along the length ofthe fabric. In this respect, a wet-processed fabric retained in the supply container 20 may be partly immersed in a residual quantity of the original processing liquid, such that the fabric emerging from the supply container may vary in liquid content from damp to soaking wet. If fabric in this condition were directed through the drying or heat processing stage it would dry (or cure, heat set, etc.) at non-uniform rates, depending upon the initial liquid content of a given area. This could introduce serious geometrical distortions in the fabric and also could cause migration of dyes and treating chemicals in the fabric. In accordance with the invention of our copending application Ser. No. 625,725, now abandoned, the liquid content of a wet-processed fabric is caused to be uniform throughout, by means of processing the fabric in the padding stage 31, so that the subsequent drying or heat processing of the fabric proceeds uniformly.

Fabric discharged from the padding stage 31 advantageously passes over guide rollers 35, 36, and under a floating control roller 37, which serves to maintain proper speed relationships between the heat processing and padding stages. The fabric then advances to a tenter pinning stage, generally designated by the numeral 38, at which the fabric edges are applied over the pins of spaced tenter chains. As will be described in more detail, the tenter pinning stage 38 includes fabric edge-seeking controls for manipulating the input ends of the tenter chains inward and outward, as required, in order that the tenter pins engage the fabric edges along a desired margin. The edge-seeking portions of the tenter chains are manipulated independently of the basic width adjustment of the chains, such that the pinned fabric ultimately is conveyed through the remainder of the process at a uniform, preadjusted width.

At the pinning stage, the fabric is also desirably applied to the tenter pins in such a way as to provide a predetermined amount of overfeed of the fabric across its width, to accommodate a reasonable amount of lengthwise shrinkage of the fabric during the subsequent heat processing stage and also to accommodate shortening of the fabric which accompanies its widthwise distension. in connection with the processing of knitted fabric in particular, provision for lengthwise relaxation shrinkage is important, in order that the processed fabric have reasonable geometric stability.

As reflected schematically in FIGS. 1 and 2, the open width fabric, now pinned on the tenter chains, is conveyed into the heat processing stage 34 and, while still on the tenter pins, is carried about a large diameter rotating processing drum 39. While passing about the drum, the fabric is subjected to the action of a series of closely spaced high velocity streams of heated air, which are directed radially inward of the drum 39 from the air ducts closely embracing the circumference thereof.

After leaving the processing drum, the now dried or otherwise processed fabric, still engaged by the tenter chains, is conveyed through a cooling stage, generally designated by the reference number 40, and to a depinning stage, generally designated by the numeral 41. Thereafter, the fabric is conveyed to a suitable gathering stage, generally designated by the numeral 42, which typically may be a horizontal plane folder, or may be a wind-up apparatus, as will be understood. Guide rolls 43, 44 and an associated floating control roll 45 advantageously may be interposed between the de-pinning stage at and the gathering stage 42, to maintain appropriate speed relationships between these stages.

The drying or processing stage 34, forming one of the particularly important aspects of the present invention, is illustrated particularly in FIGS. 3-5, 13 and 14. The illustrated processing apparatus includes a large, typically rectangular housing 46, which includes a central chamber 47, in which is rotatably supported the large diameter cylindrical processing drum 39. The drum 39 is of fixed axial length, which is slightly greater than the maximum width of the fabric to be accommodated by the system.

The processor housing 46 also includes plenum chambers 4%, 49, which closely surround most of the circumference of the drum 39 and extend from one end to the other of the working length of the drum. Beyond the ends of the drum 39, the plenum chambers 48, 49, on each side of the housing, there are provided enlarged end chambers 50, 51. These end chambers provide an open and unrestricted communication with the axial ends of the processing drum 39, to accommodate a free axial flow of air out of the ends of the drum and into the end chambers, generally in accordance with the teachings of the US. Pat. No. 3,065,551, of Samuel Cohn et al.

At each end of the dryer housing 46, the end chambers 50, 51 are in communication with blower intake chambers 52, 53 (for the end chamber 50) and 54, 55 (for the end chamber 53). Each of the intake chambers 52-55 is associated with adjacent blower outlet chambers52a-55a. As shown in FIG. 5, the blower outlet chambers 52a, 54a discharge into opposite sides of the plenum chamber 48, while the blower outlet chambers 5341-55 discharge into opposite sides of the plenum chamber 49. The arrangement is such that air from the respective end chambers 50, 51 is divided and flows in opposite directions into the blower intake chambers 52, 53 and 54, 55. This air flows through blowers 56-59 (sec P10. 1) driven by suitable motors 60, such that the air is directed under pressure into the plenum chambers 48, 49, where air from opposite end chambers 50, 51 is recombined.

Advantageously, air entering the several blower intake chambers 52-55, is heated by means of gas burners 61 (see FIG. 4) disposed adjacent the intake openings 62 to each of the blower intake chambers. Typically, the gas burners 61 may be supplied through distribution pipes 63 connected to vertical pipes 64 extending from the floor of the dryer housing 46 up to the burners 61. As illustrated particularly in FIG. 4, the blower intake and blower outlet chambers 52-55 and 52a-55a, typically may be of substantially smaller dimensions than those of the end chambers 50, 51, for example. Thus, the blower intake and outlet chambers may extend from the forward and rearward walls 65, 66 of the processor housing substantially at the level of the axis to the drum 39. These chambers, while extending from one side to the other of the housing, may be approximately one-half the height of the housing, so that the upper and lower walls 67, 68 of these chambers are disposed well below and well above the top and bottom walls 69, 70 of the processor housing. As reflected in FIG. 4, the blower units 56-59 and the drive motors 60 therefor advantageously are mounted on the top walls 67 of the blower chambers, so as not to extend appreciably above the top walls 69 of the main housing. The bottom walls 68 of the blower chambers are spaced well above the floor level '71, on which the unit is supported, to accommodate the extension of incoming and outgoing tenter chain sections 72, 73.

As indicated best in FIGS. 3 and 5, air discharged under pressure from the blower outlet chambers 5211-5517, enters the plenum chambers 48, 49, which are comprised of arcuate, approximately semi-circular air ducts. These ducts include end walls 74, on one side and 76, 77 on the other side of the processing drum. In addition, each plenum chamber includes an arcuate, approximately semi-circular wall 78 or 79 which closes in the chamber and is concentric and closely spaced from the outer wall of the processing drum 39. By way of example, in an apparatus in which the processing drum is about 7 feet in diameter, the spacing between the arcuate duct walls 78, 79 and the outer wall of the drum 39 advantageously is on the order of, say, 1 /2 to 2 inches.

About the entire surface of the arcuate duct walls 78, 79, there are provided air nozzles 80, which advantageously extend transversely entirely across the plenum chambers 48, 49. As illustrated in FIG. 3, these transversely disposed air nozzles 80 may be spaced a few e.g., 3 to 4) inches apart over the entire area of the arcuate duct walls 78, 79, and may have a nozzle width of about one-quarter to one-half inch. The arrangement is such that, when air under pressure is supplied to the chambers 48, 49, a large plurality of narrow, discrete air streams, each extending entirely across the width of the plenum chambers, are directed out of the nozzles 80, in a radially inward direction with respect to the processing drum 39. As will be described, the cylindrical outer wall of the drum is constructed of a perforate material, such as a wire screen or mesh, such that the air streams issued from the nozzles 80 are directed toward and through the outer wall of the drum and through any fabric supported thereon.

Most advantageously, the pressure relationships existing within the housing 46, are such that the discrete air streams being issued from the nozzles 80 are of relatively high velocity (e.g., on the order of 2,500 to 4,000 ft. per minute) such that each of the air streams issuing from the large plurality nozzles 80 is relatively distinct, and a given area of fabric, being conveyed through the processor on the surface of the drum 39, is alternately and repeatedly subjected to the action of separate and distinct high velocity air streams. As described in connection with the before-mentioned Samuel Cohn et al., US. Pat. No. 3,l02,006, this air flow pattern, in conjunction with a predetermined overfeeding of the fabric into the processor in the first instance, enables a particularly efficient drying or heat processing action to be realized, accompanied by repeated manipulation and working in the fabric to promote relaxation shrinkage in the lengthwise direction.

As shown in FIG. 4, the plenum chambers 48, 49 advantageously terminate in the upper portion of the processor housing 46, in slightly spaced relation to each other. This provides a transverse passage 81 at the top of the housing for the flow of excess air out into the end chambers 50, 51. The plenum chambers also terminate in spaced relation in the lower portion of the housing, to accommodate the handling of the incoming and outgoing fabric, as will be explained in more detail. Overall, each of the arcuate walls 78, 79 of the plenum chambers 48, 49, may embrace approximately l50-16 of the surface of the drum 39, so that a maximum area of the drum is exposed to the action of the processing air.

On the incoming and outgoing sides of the processor housing, there are provided pre-heating and post-heating chambers 82, 83. These advantageously are located in the lower portions of the housing, so as to be positioned adjacent lower quadrants of the central chamber 47. The chambers 82, 83 consist of a series of upper and lower air nozzles 84, 85, which are positioned, respectively, above and below the plane of the incoming open width fabric, being conveyed in on the incoming and outgoing tenter chain sections 72, 73. Closely spaced, discrete, low velocity streams act upon the upper and lower surfaces of the fabric, as it enters the housing 46, and throughout a zone of several feet in length, prior to advancement of the fabric onto the surface of the processing drum.

Advantageously, the air nozzles 84, in the pre-heating and post-heating chambers, are adjustable in opening size relative to the lower nozzles 85, as by means of an adjusting shaft 86, rotatable by a lever 87. The arrangement is such that, air under pressure supplied to the pre-heating and post-heating chambers is controllably directed through the upper and lower air nozzles 84, 85, in a manner such as to provide a net upward pressure of air flowing from the lower nozzles 85. This is particularly significant in connection with the preheating chamber 82, because the fabric entering and passing through the pre-heating chamber, engaged at its opposite edges by tenter chains, is wet and heavy and tends to sag between the supported edges. The net upward force of the air streams in the pre-heating chamber provides an advantageous support for thecenter area fabric to avoid sagging and distortion of the fabric. If desired or expedient, the upper nozzles 84 may, in some cases, be closed off entirely.

Air is supplied to the upper nozzles of the pre-heating and post-heating chambers 82, 83, by means of openings 88, which connect the lower portion of the plenum chambers 48, 49, with the respective pre-heating and post-heating chambers. The size of the openings may be adjustable, as through a shaft 89 and lever 90, to provide for proper apportionment of flow in the various chambers. The air is supplied under a pressure suitable to achieve a relatively low velocity flow at the nozzles. A velocity on the order of 600 feet per minute is typical and advantageous.

In the illustrated apparatus, the adjustable openings 84, 88 are formed by slidable nozzle sections 91, 92, which are controllably positioned relative to opposed, fixed nozzle sections through the control levers 87, 90. For some installations, however, it may be adequate to set the size of the openings 84, 88 at the factory and eliminate adjustment features.

The processing drum assembly 39 includes a shaft 93, journaled in bearing blocks 94, supported by structural frames 95. The frames are positioned within the end chambers 50, 51, and are spaced somewhat beyond the end walls 74-77 of the air duct means forming the plenum chambers 48, 49. The outward spacing of the frames is such as to accommodate the presence, outside of the duct walls 74-77, of ducts 96, 97, which connect the upper and lower portions of the pre-heating and post-heating chambers 82, 83.

The drum shaft 93 supports an open, skeleton framework, on which is supported a cylindrical outer wall 98 of perforate form. This wall most advantageously is made of a stainless steel wire mesh, for example, which may in turn have its exterior surface covered by a mesh of a friction-free material such as an open mesh of fiberglass yarns coated with a material such as polytetrafluoroethylene (e.g., Teflon PTFE). The mesh of friction-free material typically may have openings on the order of one-quarter inch, while the openings of the underlying mesh may be somewhat larger, say, one-half inch.

As reflected in FIG. 3, particularly, the interior of the drum 39 is substantially open, as is the end area of the drum. The arrangement is such that, in the operation of the dryer, a large plurality of discrete streams of processing air, extending across the full operative width of the processing drum, are directed radially into the interior of the drum, through the perforate outer wall 98, and, of course, through any fabric supported thereon. The relatively unobstructed interior of the drum permits a free axial flow of air out of the interior of the drum, from both ends. The highly enlarged end chambers 50, 51 accommodate this axial air flow without causing significant localized flow streams of withdrawn air in and about the processing drum, such as would result in non-uniformity of drying across the width of the fabric. In this respect, it is particularly significant that the fabric be dried or otherwise processed at a uniform rate across its width as well as along its length, not only to achieve uniform geometric stabilization, but, more importantly, to achieve uniform curing or reaction of fabric components or fabric impregnants, such as dyes, resins, etc. For example, nonuniform drying of a fabric, still wet from the dyeing process, can cause migration of the dye from one area to another of the fabric, resulting in a product which is mottled or otherwise of non-uniform appearance. Likewise, in heat setting of a polyester or nylon fabric, for example, processing uniformity, as well as positive geometrical stability, is critical, because the fabric will assume certain relatively permanent characteristics during the processing stage.

When the processor is in operation, most of the air withdrawn from the ends of the drum is heated by the burners 61, recirculated through the blowers, directed into the plenum chambers 48, 49, and again discharged through the nozzles 80. However, some percentage (e.g., 10 percent) of the air is continually exhausted to the atmosphere and a corresponding amount of fresh air is, of course, introduced into the system. In the illustrated system, the exhaust air is most advantageously removed by extraction from the end chambers 50, 51, through large exhaust openings 100, 101, located in the outer walls thereof generally opposite the end openings of the drum. The exhaust openings communicate with large exhaust ducts 102, 103 (FIG. 1) through which the air is discharged to the atmosphere. Make-up air, to compensate for the volume of air exhausted, typically is brought into the system through inlet openings, not specifically shown, which desirably are located so that the make-up air is acted upon by the heaters before initially reaching the intakes of the blowers 56-59.

As will be described in more detail, fabric entering the processing stage 34 is pinned upon spaced tenter chains W5, having an advantageous configuration as shown in FIG. 13, for example. The chains are comprised of link bodies 106 and integral offset extension arms 107, which mount appropriate tenter elements, such as plates of tenter pins 108, tenter clips (not shown) or the like.

As the tenter chains advance through the incoming stage into the interior of the processing stage, the chains are transferred to guide sheaves 109, which reverse the direction of the tenter chains and then transfer them to a pair of spaced guide channels 110, disposed about the entire circumference of the processing drum 39. When transferred to the guide channels 1 10, the tenter chains 105 are guided and supported by the inner walls of the channels, such that the offset extension arms 107 and the pin plates closely overlie the surface of the outer wall 98 of the drum. This enables a fabric, engaged by opposed tenter chains, to be supported directly upon the surface of the processing drum, in the manner desired, closely adjacent the edge extremities.

As shown particularly in FIGS. 3 and 14, the pair of guide channels 110 is supported from within the processing drum 39 by means of a plurality (e.g., six in a typical installation) of axially disposed supporting rods 111, secured to the frame structure of the drum. Each of the supporting rods 111 guides a carrier bracket 112 having triangulariy arranged trolley wheels 113 engaging opposite sides of the rod. A connecting arm 114 extends radially from the carrier bracket 112 and engages the guide channel llfljust outside the surface of the drum wall 98;.

In the illustrated arrangement, each of the guide channels 110 is supported at six points by a structure as described above and illustrated in FIG. 14. The arrangement is such that the guide channels are firmly supported, just slightly spaced outward of the cylindrical outer wall of the processing drum, in a manner to provide for inward and outward axial adjusting movement.

To accommodate the desired axial adjusting move ment of the guide channels 110, the end areas of the drum wall 98 are provided with axial slots 115 (see F 16. extending from the outer end of the drum inward for a distance sufficient to accommodate the desired range of adjustment. Typically, in the region of the slots 115, the screen material forming the outer wall of the drum is cut and bent inward, as indicated at 116 in FIG. 14, and secures as by clamping with a strip 117 bolted through the screen to a supporting structure, such as an angle iron (not shown).

As shown in H6. 3, the tenter chains 105, after traveling in the guide channels 110 with the rotating drum 39, throughout an arc of as much as, say, 330, are transferred to reversing sheaves 118, and then directed into the outgoing tenter stage, as will be further described.

For effecting inward and outward lateral adjustment of the tenter chains 105, within the processing stage 34, an advantageous arrangement is provided for effecting axial adjustment of the position of the guide channels 110, the reversing sheaves 109, 118, and other elements of the tenter stages. To this end, there are disposed within the processor housing, radially outward of the drum 39, and advantageously just within the physical outline of the hot air ducts 48, 49, a plurality of guide tubes 119 (see FIGS. 3, 14) which typically extend for the full width of the drum 39 and house threaded adjusting shafts 120. Each of the guide tubes 119 receives a slide block 121, which is threadedly engaged by the shaft 120 and has a tongue 122 projecting through a narrow, elongated slot 123 in the guide tube, in a direction radially inward of the processing drum 39, but terminating short of the outer surface thereof. An extension 124 of the tongue mounts a pair of closely spaced guide wheels 125, which closely embrace the opposite surfaces of the radially outwardly extending outer flange of the guide channel 110. The arrangement is such that, as the drum 39 rotates along with the guide channels 110, the outer flange of each of the guide channels is guided and positioned by the pairs of guide rollers 125, at a plurality of points about the circumference of the drum.

As will be understood, the positioning of the pairs of guide rollers 125, for each of the several adjustment assemblies, is coordinated, and the adjustment thereof axially of the drum 39 is synchronized through synchronous manipulation of the several threaded shafts 120. Accordingly, through suitable controls, typically motor driven, the shafts 120 may be controllably actuated, as necessary, to move the guide channels axially inward or outward. In typical operation, the drum is being rotated during an adjusting movement, so that there is relative movement between the guide channels and the guide rollers 125, which further assures smooth adjustment.

Advantageously, an elongated cover plate 126 is supported by the slide block 121 and by supporting blocks 136, within the guide tube 119, to close off the slot 123 while permitting the tongue 122 to project therethrough. This arrangement is particularly advantageous because it prevents accumulations of lint, splatterings of resins and other chemicals from forming around the threaded shaft 120, ultimately to interfere with its proper operation.

Similarly, the supporting arrangement for the guide channels 110 is such as to remain substantially maintenance free in a severe environment. Thus, lint accumulations in the area of the carrier bracket 112 are effectively prevented by the active air flows, during normal operation, and the provision of large diameter, grooved trolley wheels, for cooperation with a cylindrical supporting bar, keeps the carrier assembly relatively insensitive to an occasional splattering of chemicals, such as resins.

As will be understood, in effecting an axially inward or outward axial adjustment of the guide channels 110 and the tenter chains supported therein, it is also necessary to effect a like adjustment of the reversing sheaves 109, and also other portions of the tenter line. To this end, the sheaves 109, 118, as well as the adjacent ends of the incoming and outgoing tenter stages, are supported by a carriage frame 127 at each side. As shown best in FIG. 13, the carriage frames 12'! include bearings 128 supporting shafts 129, upon which are supported the reversing sheaves 109, l 18. For purposes to be explained, the shafts 129 advantageously are of eccentric form, in that the portion 130 thereof, which supports the reversing sheave, is offset from the portion received in the bearing 128. The enables the axis of the reversing sheave to be adjusted relative to the carriage 127, although this is intended to be an installation adjustment and is not needed in day-today operations.

The adjacent ends of the incoming and outgoing tenter sections 72, 73, are supported below the reversing sheaves 109, 118 by suitable brackets 131 secured to the carriage frame and movable therewith.

At each side, the entire carriage frame 127 is supported on a trolley structure comprised of base members 132 and pairs of grooved trolley wheels 133. The trolley wheels 133 are supported between opposed pairs of tracks 134, 135, which typically may be formed of the outside corner area of angle sections.

The carriage rails 134, 135 extend widthwise below the processing drum 39, accommodating inward and outward movement of the sheaves 109, 118 along with the inner ends of the tenter sections 72, 73. As shown in FIGS. 3 and 13, and also in FIG. 14, the carriages 132 are provided with positioning arms 137, 138, which extend upward and outward to be engaged by elements 139 (FIG. 14) carried by the slide blocks 121 of the two lower-most adjusting shafts 120. Thus, when the several adjusting shafts are actuated, to shift the guide channels 110 symmetrically inward or outward relative to the drum, the carriages 132 are simultaneously shifted inward or outward to adjust the inner ends of the tenter sections 72, 73, and the reversing sheaves 109, 118.

In the illustrated form of the invention, fabric supporting drums 139 (FIG. 13) extend transversely between opposed pairs of the reversing sheaves 109, 118. The diameter of the supporting drums 139 approximates that of the tenter chain passing around the reversing sheaves, such that the tenter-engaged fabric is supported in its central portions as it is conveyed through a reversing turn. In the illustrated arrangement, the fabric supporting drums 139 are arranged for telescopic interaction, so as to expand and contract with widthwise adjustments of the tenter chains. Alternatively, the axial length of the supporting drums 139 may correspond to the minimum width setting of the tenter chains and be of fixed length. In the alternative arrangement, portions of the fabric near the edge margins would be unsupported, but this does not appear to present problems of consequence, as long as the fixed length of the supporting drums 139 bears a reasonable relation to the overall width of the fabric. In this respect, a fabric supporting drum 139 having an axial length approximately half of the overall fabric width is entirely satisfactory.

As is illustrated particularly in FIG. 13, the tenter pins 108, engaging the fabric as it passes around the reversing sheaves 109, 118, extend in a generally radially inward direction, while the tenter chain is passing about the sheaves. Accordingly, longitudinal tensions in the fabric will have an inherent tendency to de-pin the fabric from the tenter chain. To prevent this, the apparatus of the invention advantageously incorporates a retaining ring 140 associated with each of the reversing sheaves. The retaining ring 140 is secured to the inner side of the sheave and extends radially outward to a point axially inside of and radially outward of the extremities of the tenter pins. The arrangement is such that the pinned fabric, which is passing about the reversing sheaves, is required to pass about the outer extremities of the retaining rings 140. Thus, tensions which are applied to the fabric will simply cause the fabric to be pulled more tightly over the retaining rings 140 and so to be pulled more tightly down onto the tenter pins.

As previously mentioned, the reversing sheaves 109, 118 advantageously are supported by eccentric shafts 129, such that the sheaves can be raised and lowered by rotary manipulation of their supporting shafts. This not only enables the sheaves to be readily adjusted relative to the surface of the dryer drum 39, but also enables the sheaves to be raised to a position high enough to contact and actually support the weight of the drum 39. Through this facility, construction and installation procedures of the bulky and cumbersome dryer drum are greatly simplified. Thus, at the installation site, temporary carriage tracks (not shown) may be installed outside of the dryer housing, in line with the carriage tracks 134. The dryer drum, handled entirely outside the dryer housing, may then be positioned on and supported by the reversing sheaves previously adjusted to elevated positions. The carriages 132 may then be rolled into the interior of the housing, through a still open side wall, and the drum thereafter supported in its regular journals 94. Once this initial installation is completed, the reversing sheaves may be lowered away from the drum, to their desired operating positions. The temporary carriage tracks may, of course, be taken up after the drum is in place within the housing.

The input section 72 of the tenter, shown particularly in FIGS. 3 and 6-l3, inclusive, is comprised of a pair of tenter guide channels 150, 151 supported at their inner end extremities by the carriage 132 and at one or more intermediate locations by one or more adjusting shafts 152. The adjusting shafts 152 are ofa character similar to the shafts 120 and are controlled to be operated in synchronism therewith, such that the tenter frames 150, 151 are adjusted laterally inward and outward along with the tenter guide channels of the dryer drum, in accordance with fabric width settings. As illustrated in FIG. 13, the tenter channels 150, 151 may comprise an assembly of an L-shaped section 153, for supporting the empty or return reach of the chain, and a Z-shaped section 154 slidably supporting the active or fabric carrying reach of the chain. The channel section 154 has an upwardly extending inner flange 155, which is received between the chain body and the offset arm 107. In normal operation, the chain body slides against the outer face of the flange 155, by reason of the slight widthwise fabric tensions, which tend to draw the tenter chains inwardly.

In accordance with one of the specific features of the invention, the input tenter section 72 is provided with a novel and advantageous arrangement for seeking out the edge extremity of the incoming fabric and pinning the fabric properly upon the tenter chains 105. Thereafter, the chains advance into the guide channels 150, 151, to be conveyed through the remainder of the system at a predetermined uniform width dimension. Referring now to FIGS. 6 and 7, the fabric 27, received from the padding stage 31, passes through a set of triangularly configurated, spiral de-curling rollers 156 which are rotated so that the spiral surfaces thereof tend to smooth out and de-curl the fabric. The fabric then is directed through reverse bends about a pair of speed-controlled overfeed rollers 157, which are driven in a predetermined speed relationship to the tenter chains, advantageously at a somewhat higher rate of speed to provide for a desired degree of overfeeding of the fabric onto the tenter pins. Desirably, the overfeed rollers 157 are separated, so as not to nip the fabric, but are provided with suitable friction surfacing which, by reason of the considerable area of contact with the fabric, affords an adequate grip for controlling the fabric in an effective manner.

Fabric discharged from the upper gripping roller 157 passes between pairs of air jet uncurlers 158, 159 carried by edge-seeking tenter sections generally designated by the numerals 160, 161, which are connected to and form the entry ends of the respective tenter channels 150, 151. The edge uncurlers 158, 159 are arranged to direct jets of air outwardly across the top and bottom surfaces of the fabric, to at least momentarily flatten the fabric. In this respect, it will be understood that many slit and opened tubular knitted fabrics, for example, have a pronounced tendency to curl at the edges, particularly when subjected to any lengthwise tension during processing, and it is often necessary to de-curl the fabric at one or more stages for effective handling.

While the fabric edges are held flat by the uncurling jets 158, 159, the fabric passes between an edge sensing control 162, typically consisting of means such as a light source 163 and a pair of photoelectric cells 164, 165. The sensing controls are provided at both sides of the equipment, of course, to detect the opposite edges of the fabric. The arrangement of the control is such that, if neither of the photoelectric cells is covered by the fabric edge, the edge-following section of the tenter chain will automatically adjust in an inward direction, until it finds the fabric edge. The adjustment will terminate when the inside cell 165 is covered by the fabric edge, while the outside cell remains uncovered. If the fabric edge wanders in an outward direction, to cover both of the photo cells, an outward adjustment of the tenter section will automatically follow, until the outer photoelectric cell 164 is again uncovered.

Still referring to FIGS. 6 and 7, the uncurled fabric edge, properly tracked by the sensing control 162, passes directly between a trimming roll 166, driven by a motor 170, and a pinch roller 167 cooperating therewith, whereby the fabric edge is positively advanced at a predetermined, controlled speed, typically somewhat greater than that of the tenter chains 105. The fabric is then advanced between a driven brush wheel 168 and cooperating, opposed plate 169. The brush wheel is disposed directly above the tenter chain 105 and has its bristles projecting slightly below the upper extremities of the tenter pins 108. The brush wheel 168 is driven at such a speed that its bristle extremities are traveling at a higher rate of speed than the tenter chain 105, enabling the fabric to be impaled upon the tips of the tenter pins 108 in a uniformly, desirably overfed condition.

The lightly pinned fabric then advances to a second non-driven brush wheel 171, the bristles 172 of which project substantially to the base ends of the tenter pins 108. The arrangement is such that, as the fabric passes under the brush wheel 171, it is pressed downward to a fully pinned condition. The idling speed of the brush wheel 171 is, of course, such that its bristles 172 are substantially synchronous with the tenter chain 105.

In accordance with one aspect of the invention, the draw rollers 157 are speed controlled relative to the speed of the tenter chains, by means of a so-called tachfollower control (not shown). The tachfollower control, which is available from com-mercial sources and by itself forms no part of this invention, drives the overfeed rollers 157 at a preset but adjustable percen-tage of the tenter chain speed. Typically, this is set to provide a predetermined percentage (e.g., 20-30 percent for some knitted fab-rics) overfeed of the fabric to the tenter input. The overfeed trimming rolls 166 and brush wheels 168 at each side are in turn controlled by separately adjustable tach-follower controls related to the speed of the overfeed rolls 157. This enables a degree of separate overfeed control of the opposite fabric edges, for final cross line straightening as the fabric is applied to the tenter pins.

Advantageously, the overfeed rollers drive sets of conveyor tapes or belts 198, supported by idler rollers 199 (see FIG. 6). The belts support the center area of the fabric, as it is conveyed by the entry stage of the tenter, and prevent it from sagging excessively under its own weight, particularly when handling wet fabric.

In accordance with one of the more specific aspects of the invention, the edge-seeking entry end sections 160, 161 of the tenter sections are secured to the main tenter channels 150, 151 by means of special constantlength flexing sections 173, 174, details of which are illustrated in FIGS. 10-12. In this respect, it will be understood that the tenter chains 105, to be described in more detail, are intended to be flexible principally in the vertical plane, to accommodate travel about the reversing sheaves 109, 118, about the processing drum 39, and about various other sprockets and sheaves which are provided to guide and support the travel of the chain. While limited flexibility of the chain is provided to accommodate bending in horizontal directions, it is an objective of the invention to provide for horizontal flexure of the tenter chains in very gradual arcs and, in addition, to accommodate the flexure of the chains in unequal amounts in horizontal directions, without upsetting the desired synchronous relationship between a cooperating pair of tenter chains.

Referring specifically to FIGS. 10-12, the flexure section 174, which is a substantial duplicate of the opposite-side flexure section 173, is shown to comprise the pair of spaced, flexible side plates 175, 176, between which are positioned a plurality of flexible strips 177, 178, 179, and 179a. The several plates 175, 176 and strips 177-179 are separated from each other by suitable spacer means, such as washers 180, as shown in FIG. 12, and spacer plates 181, shown in FIG. 11. The spacer plates 181 are located at the end extremities of the flexure sections, while the spacing washers 180 may be provided at one or more intermediate locations. In between the spacers, the plates 175, 176 and the strips 177-179 are simply disposed in spaced apart relation, as is clearly reflected in FIG. 11. 

1. A method for processing tubular knitted fabrics of various widths in a rotary tenter processor apparatus, the steps which comprise a. slitting and opening a tubular knitted fabric; b. engaging the slit and opened fabric by its opposed edges and while continuously engaged, distending the fabric to a predetermined width; c. passing said continuously engaged and distended fabric through a pretreating zone for impinging said fabric with discrete volumes of treating air; d. applying said continuously engaged and distended fabric to, and mechanically supporting one surface of said fabric by, a fixed width rotary processing drum; e. said continuously engaged and distended fabric being applied without interruption of the engagement and distention thereof symmetrically to the center of the drum at its distended width independent of the axial length of said drum; f. impinging the fabric surface with radially directed high velocity streams of processing air from stationary points closely adjacent the circumferential surface of said drum through said continuously supported and distended fabric and radially into said drum; g. said high velocity air streams extending over the full axial length of the drum, independent of the distended width of said continuously engaged and distended fabric supported thereon, and h. removing said fabric from said drum surface while still in its continuously engaged and distended form and passing said fabric through a post-treating zone for impinging said fabric with discrete volumes of treating air.
 2. The method as recited in claim 1, in which said engaging step is carried out by overfeeding said slit and opened fabric. 